Printing photos from JPG files

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
rjbraun
Posts: 2271
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:22 pm

Printing photos from JPG files

Post by rjbraun »

We recently hired a photographer and have received JPG files of the pictures he took.

1. How should we proceed with printing some of the photos? I haven't seriously printed pictures since using actual film! We don't own a high-quality printer, should we send them out? If so, any recommendations as to where? In at least some cases we would be looking for a quality print (up to 8" x 10", most likely) that would then be placed in a picture frame.

2. We will probably also want to have some of the photos bound in a nice album, kind of a like a small hardcover book, I think. Is there a company that does this well?

3. The photographer offered to make adjustments to any of the images. I guess this means cropping or perhaps changing color effects ...? I am kind of intrigued to possibly have some of the images converted to black & white. Not sure. They are outdoor portrait-type shots in an attractive natural setting, so maybe it's better to stick with color. Appreciate any advice from people knowledgeable about this type of thing.

We're in no rush and would be fine with slower turnaround time if that would reduce cost.

Thanks in advance for any help!
renue74
Posts: 1893
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:24 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by renue74 »

Put the images on a thumb drive and you can take them to any Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and they will print them for you.

I think most of those places also give you the ability to manipulate the images a little....cropping, B/W, sepia, etc with on-screen adjustments before you print.
bob60014
Posts: 3768
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:59 pm
Location: The Land Beyond ORD

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by bob60014 »

There are free programs available to modify pictures from your PC (Google Photos) as well as kiosks at the Walmart and Walgreens photo. Once modified, Google Photos also has a printing service to put into book or singles.
Rupert
Posts: 4122
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 12:01 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by Rupert »

Use one of the on-line sites such as Shutterfly or Snapfish. I find it's too costly to print a large number of photos at home. Almost any photo print company can make a photo book as well (along with coffee mugs, holiday ornaments, calendars, canvases, etc.). The local pharmacy (Walgreens, etc.) will do in a pinch, but they generally don't do a great job.
DesertDiva
Posts: 1555
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2018 11:49 am
Location: In the desert

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by DesertDiva »

renue74 wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:57 pm Put the images on a thumb drive and you can take them to any Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and they will print them for you.

I think most of those places also give you the ability to manipulate the images a little....cropping, B/W, sepia, etc with on-screen adjustments before you print.
Also Costco
Topic Author
rjbraun
Posts: 2271
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:22 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by rjbraun »

Thank you all for the helpful feedback. Just to clarify, I am looking for (reasonably) high-quality prints. The pictures are of a special occasion and whatever gets framed will be given to parents, for example. While the book would probably be just for us, it is something that we plan to look at regularly and would consider to be *special* so should, again, be something that will not only last but that will also feel solid and substantial (enough) when handled.
Rupert
Posts: 4122
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 12:01 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by Rupert »

rjbraun wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 4:18 pm Thank you all for the helpful feedback. Just to clarify, I am looking for (reasonably) high-quality prints. The pictures are of a special occasion and whatever gets framed will be given to parents, for example. While the book would probably be just for us, it is something that we plan to look at regularly and would consider to be *special* so should, again, be something that will not only last but that will also feel solid and substantial (enough) when handled.
If there's a local camera+print shop near you, they may do a better job, but such shops are rare these days. My city happens to have one, and they're very pricey. PCMag recently reviewed the on-line services. Here's a link: https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/353850/th ... g-services
User avatar
Kenkat
Posts: 9549
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:18 am
Location: Cincinnati, OH

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by Kenkat »

Make sure that the jpg files you received are high resolution versions meant for reprint. The jpg file may be the limiting factor; most high volume printers like Walgreens, Costco, etc. can produce high quality prints given good input.
Topic Author
rjbraun
Posts: 2271
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:22 pm

Printing photos from JPG files

Post by rjbraun »

Rupert wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 4:32 pm
rjbraun wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 4:18 pm Thank you all for the helpful feedback. Just to clarify, I am looking for (reasonably) high-quality prints. The pictures are of a special occasion and whatever gets framed will be given to parents, for example. While the book would probably be just for us, it is something that we plan to look at regularly and would consider to be *special* so should, again, be something that will not only last but that will also feel solid and substantial (enough) when handled.
If there's a local camera+print shop near you, they may do a better job, but such shops are rare these days. My city happens to have one, and they're very pricey. PCMag recently reviewed the on-line services. Here's a link: https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/353850/th ... g-services
Very helpful PCMag article -- thank you for the link, Rupert. There actually are a number of local print shops when I looked just now. They seem to be more print shops than "high-end camera" shops. From the reviews they seem to do a lot of head shots for actors (this being NYC :P), so I'll have to look more closely to see if it's more of a high-volume type place than a high quality proposition (yes, could be both :happy )
renue74
Posts: 1893
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:24 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by renue74 »

The paper is pretty much the same across the board. There are not many manufacturers who make photo paper any longer.

As one poster noted, the limiting factor may be your JPEG. Most pro photographers shoot in .RAW format...which has a lot more data in the file than a JPEG.

In layman's terms, let's say you shoot a photo and it saves a JPEG that is 5Mb. Shooting the same photo and it saved as a RAW file may be 25Mb in size.
A JPEG is produced by the camera of "it" thinks should be a good image and then removes anything else.

If you have JPEGs, there is still a ton you can do with them as far as manipulation, though.
Teague
Posts: 2524
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2015 5:15 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by Teague »

As with corn flakes to caskets, Costco generally does a good job for good price.
Semper Augustus
User avatar
lthenderson
Posts: 8528
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:43 am
Location: Iowa

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by lthenderson »

rjbraun wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:50 pm 1. How should we proceed with printing some of the photos? I haven't seriously printed pictures since using actual film! We don't own a high-quality printer, should we send them out? If so, any recommendations as to where? In at least some cases we would be looking for a quality print (up to 8" x 10", most likely) that would then be placed in a picture frame.

2. We will probably also want to have some of the photos bound in a nice album, kind of a like a small hardcover book, I think. Is there a company that does this well?

3. The photographer offered to make adjustments to any of the images. I guess this means cropping or perhaps changing color effects ...? I am kind of intrigued to possibly have some of the images converted to black & white. Not sure. They are outdoor portrait-type shots in an attractive natural setting, so maybe it's better to stick with color. Appreciate any advice from people knowledgeable about this type of thing.
1. There are lots of places where you can upload them to the internet and have them printed and shipped to your door. There are even places that will custom frame them as well. See my response to your next question.

2. One of the sites I have used over the years is www.shutterfly.com. You can create customized photo albums for your photos fairly easily using their templates and even they can be customized. I have probably a dozen of them that I have created over the years. They are great quality and don't take up nearly as much room (thickness wise) as a conventional photo album. The same site also will frame pictures and one of my favorites has been to print my pictures on large format canvas frames. I generally create something and leave it in my "account" until one of their many sales comes up. After you buy one thing, you will get more coupons sent back with the item for even deeper discounts on the next item.

3. There are numerous freeware programs to be found online that can convert photos to black and white and do basic contrast and lighting changes.
Topic Author
rjbraun
Posts: 2271
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:22 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by rjbraun »

Kenkat wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:07 pm Make sure that the jpg files you received are high resolution versions meant for reprint. The jpg file may be the limiting factor; most high volume printers like Walgreens, Costco, etc. can produce high quality prints given good input.
Thank you, good point. Yes, I should have high resolution files intended for reprint. The photographer said he would shoot in RAW file format, edit them, save them as JPEGS and transmit the full resolution files digitally via Google Drive. He said I should "download" the file as opposed to "drag and drop" to maintain the full resolution, so I will do that.
Topic Author
rjbraun
Posts: 2271
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:22 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by rjbraun »

renue74 wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:53 pm The paper is pretty much the same across the board. There are not many manufacturers who make photo paper any longer.

As one poster noted, the limiting factor may be your JPEG. Most pro photographers shoot in .RAW format...which has a lot more data in the file than a JPEG.

In layman's terms, let's say you shoot a photo and it saves a JPEG that is 5Mb. Shooting the same photo and it saved as a RAW file may be 25Mb in size.
A JPEG is produced by the camera of "it" thinks should be a good image and then removes anything else.

If you have JPEGs, there is still a ton you can do with them as far as manipulation, though.
Interesting, thanks. So, if I follow you correctly I guess the JPEG files I have aren't as high resolution as the .RAW format the photographer shot originally. But, I guess you are saying that the JPEG can still be good enough. The photographer did say to let him know if there are "any adjustments" I would like made to any of the images he sent. I'm not sure exactly what that means. I can ask him, but at a minimum I guess that means cropping or perhaps changing the color format, including, presumably, to black & white.
shelanman
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 7:35 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by shelanman »

The best quality prints and photo gifts that I've ever bought have been done by Bay Photo (bayphoto.com)

They are way more expensive than Walgreens/Costco/Shutterfly, but they have top notch stuff. Their primary market is selling through photographers, but they'll happily print for you, too.

I can strongly recommend the metal prints (particularly the mid-gloss finish) and their wood prints. But they have regular paper prints in every kind of finish as well.

If you want to print 100s of photos, though, Bay will probably be too expensive.
Topic Author
rjbraun
Posts: 2271
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:22 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by rjbraun »

lthenderson wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:02 pm
rjbraun wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:50 pm 1. How should we proceed with printing some of the photos? I haven't seriously printed pictures since using actual film! We don't own a high-quality printer, should we send them out? If so, any recommendations as to where? In at least some cases we would be looking for a quality print (up to 8" x 10", most likely) that would then be placed in a picture frame.

2. We will probably also want to have some of the photos bound in a nice album, kind of a like a small hardcover book, I think. Is there a company that does this well?

3. The photographer offered to make adjustments to any of the images. I guess this means cropping or perhaps changing color effects ...? I am kind of intrigued to possibly have some of the images converted to black & white. Not sure. They are outdoor portrait-type shots in an attractive natural setting, so maybe it's better to stick with color. Appreciate any advice from people knowledgeable about this type of thing.
1. There are lots of places where you can upload them to the internet and have them printed and shipped to your door. There are even places that will custom frame them as well. See my response to your next question.

2. One of the sites I have used over the years is www.shutterfly.com. You can create customized photo albums for your photos fairly easily using their templates and even they can be customized. I have probably a dozen of them that I have created over the years. They are great quality and don't take up nearly as much room (thickness wise) as a conventional photo album. The same site also will frame pictures and one of my favorites has been to print my pictures on large format canvas frames. I generally create something and leave it in my "account" until one of their many sales comes up. After you buy one thing, you will get more coupons sent back with the item for even deeper discounts on the next item.

3. There are numerous freeware programs to be found online that can convert photos to black and white and do basic contrast and lighting changes.
Thank you. I need to look into all of this more, we're not in any particular rush to receive the photos so mail may be the most efficient.

I will definitely look into shutterfly.com and appreciate the recommendation as well as the head's up regarding waiting for sales and discount coupons!

Might be easier and more fun to use the freeware programs rather than going back to the photographer to request adjustments. Would appreciate any referrals from people who have used one or more freeware programs they feel comfortable to recommend (have to admit, though, I'm a bit hesitant to download freeware to use to mess around with the photos ... even if it's unwarranted concern :( )
User avatar
climber2020
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:06 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by climber2020 »

rjbraun wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:14 pm Interesting, thanks. So, if I follow you correctly I guess the JPEG files I have aren't as high resolution as the .RAW format the photographer shot originally. But, I guess you are saying that the JPEG can still be good enough.
A RAW file is the digital equivalent of a film negative. All the information is there, but it's not the final product. The jpeg is the final product that you can view on your computer/tablet/phone.

For the small print sizes you're looking at (8x10 and under), what you were given is fine. Even a decade old 6 megapixel camera will make an excellent 8x10 small print.

I use adoramapix when I need prints. I've ordered everything from standard 4x6 prints to 24x36 posters and have been consistently happy with the quality.
Topic Author
rjbraun
Posts: 2271
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:22 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by rjbraun »

shelanman wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:17 pm The best quality prints and photo gifts that I've ever bought have been done by Bay Photo (bayphoto.com)

They are way more expensive than Walgreens/Costco/Shutterfly, but they have top notch stuff. Their primary market is selling through photographers, but they'll happily print for you, too.

I can strongly recommend the metal prints (particularly the mid-gloss finish) and their wood prints. But they have regular paper prints in every kind of finish as well.

If you want to print 100s of photos, though, Bay will probably be too expensive.
Thank you, will check out Bay. Not printing a ridiculous number so cost containment shouldn't be a big consideration.
Rupert
Posts: 4122
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2012 12:01 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by Rupert »

Make sure to get a legal release from your photographer to print the photos. The photographer owns the copyright, and some print shops won't print the photos without a release from the photographer. I haven't had this problem with the on-line sites.
Teague
Posts: 2524
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2015 5:15 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by Teague »

rjbraun wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:14 pm
renue74 wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:53 pm The paper is pretty much the same across the board. There are not many manufacturers who make photo paper any longer.

As one poster noted, the limiting factor may be your JPEG. Most pro photographers shoot in .RAW format...which has a lot more data in the file than a JPEG.

In layman's terms, let's say you shoot a photo and it saves a JPEG that is 5Mb. Shooting the same photo and it saved as a RAW file may be 25Mb in size.
A JPEG is produced by the camera of "it" thinks should be a good image and then removes anything else.

If you have JPEGs, there is still a ton you can do with them as far as manipulation, though.
Interesting, thanks. So, if I follow you correctly I guess the JPEG files I have aren't as high resolution as the .RAW format the photographer shot originally. But, I guess you are saying that the JPEG can still be good enough. The photographer did say to let him know if there are "any adjustments" I would like made to any of the images he sent. I'm not sure exactly what that means. I can ask him, but at a minimum I guess that means cropping or perhaps changing the color format, including, presumably, to black & white.
Actually it has nothing to do with resolution. But there is a much greater range of adjustments available with RAW files, such as color balance and exposure. However, if the photographer did a good job setting the exposure and color balance in the first place, RAW is generally not needed. In fact, professionals such as photojournalists, high-volume operations like school photographers, and event photographers that provide on-site printing will generally shoot JPEG to speed workflow; it works fine for most situations in the hands of a good photographer. That said, if I were trying to photograph Bigfoot in a coal mine, or a yeti in a blizzard, I'd use RAW. The more challenging the lighting the more help RAW can be.
Semper Augustus
HereToLearn
Posts: 1537
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2018 5:53 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by HereToLearn »

My vote is with Costco, but that won't be so easy if you are in Manhattan.

I have printed the same file at multiple locations and found Costco to produce the closest to the true colors. This was nine years ago, so perhaps Shufferfly, Snapfish, or CVS have improved their systems.

I upload the files from home and do any of my editing in the comfort of my own home. Costco Photo will tell you if you need to adjust the crop based on the reprint size. For instance, if the photos are tightly cropped as 4 x 6, the aspect ratio for a 5 x 7 to 8 x10 is different, and you may end up cropping off a side of an image that you wanted to print.

4 x 6 reprints are ready within an hour, and enlargements are usually ready in two to three hours. If you are unhappy with the quality of the work, Costco accepts returns on anything. Costco also produces large 16 x 20 photo collages quite inexpensively.

I have created photo albums throughout the years using My Publisher, which has since merged with Shutterfly. The quality of the albums is great (leather or linen album with nice cut-out on the front cover), but the photo paper is still photo paper. I don't know if it is possible to have one of those Manhattan shops print photos and place them in an album? West 20th between 5th & 6th used to have several photo shops but I am going back to the early 90's so they may all be long gone by now.

You should be completely fine with the JPG files. If you notice something you do not like on an image, ask the photographer if he can tweak the RAW file. You do not want the RAW files yourself. My camera stores both JPG and RAW at the same time, but I keep the RAW setting turned off as I won't put the time into manipulating the files.
User avatar
lthenderson
Posts: 8528
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:43 am
Location: Iowa

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by lthenderson »

rjbraun wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:24 pm Might be easier and more fun to use the freeware programs rather than going back to the photographer to request adjustments. Would appreciate any referrals from people who have used one or more freeware programs they feel comfortable to recommend (have to admit, though, I'm a bit hesitant to download freeware to use to mess around with the photos ... even if it's unwarranted concern :( )
I mainly use a purchased program (Adobe Lightroom) because it is much more powerful but back when I used only freeware programs, one of my favorites was Irfanview.

https://www.irfanview.com/

I haven't used it in a decade though so I don't know how it has kept up with the times. Perhaps others might be able to suggest more programs.
Teague
Posts: 2524
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2015 5:15 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by Teague »

You do not want the RAW files yourself.
I think that's generally quite true. There may be a few exceptions. Someone well versed in digital photo manipulation could be an exception, but of course that's not the case with OP.

I think it would be like me asking a pathologist for my own biopsy slides. That would be a silly idea. I would have no idea how to properly interpret what I was seeing through my microscope. No good would come of it. Confusion and frustration would be the most likely result. However, if I were also a pathologist, or somehow well versed in that field, that may be a different story.
Semper Augustus
Freefun
Posts: 1237
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 2:55 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by Freefun »

Been doing photography on and off for a long time...

What’s not known is the resolution of the JPGs you have.

RAW is the native format for a digital camera. It would have all the detail. Someone would shoot RAW primarily for post processing, because all the detail has been saved.

JPG is by definition a compressed file format. What’s not known is how compressed your photographer made the JPGs. Usually they have enough detail for printing 8x10’s (and much larger) but not always. For example, I would do model shoots and provide many highly compressed JPGs to select from - no one cares about image quality because the objective is to choose which photos are desired. Then I would do some post processing and provide high quality images.

So you have several options. One easy option is to pick an image you like and try one or more of the services the posters recommended. Then you can see how you like the result.

Another option is to ask the photographer. He/she would definitely know what size JPGs were provided (how compressed they are) along with an opinion if that’s enough to print from.

I’ve used pro printing labs so i can’t speak to the quality of the printing services mentioned. It’s likely one or many will meet your quality requirements.

However for the book you’ve mentioned, a great service I’ve used is Blurb.

http://www.blurb.com

Good luck!
Remember when you wanted what you currently have?
Freefun
Posts: 1237
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 2:55 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by Freefun »

rjbraun wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:50 pm
3. The photographer offered to make adjustments to any of the images. I guess this means cropping or perhaps changing color effects ...? I am kind of intrigued to possibly have some of the images converted to black & white. Not sure. They are outdoor portrait-type shots in an attractive natural setting, so maybe it's better to stick with color. Appreciate any advice from people knowledgeable about this type of thing.
You can experiment with this yourself, at least to see what a B&W conversion might look like or other adjustments, before getting your photographer involved (if that means paying). There are many photo apps for phones, iPads etc. One popular one is Snapseed from Google. You can load one of your images and play with the B&W filters. There's tons of other apps if you're inclined to experiment. Unless you feel the need to, you don't need a paid photo app (Snapseed is free as are many others).

These apps would also facilitate you're playing with different cropping, other filters etc.
Remember when you wanted what you currently have?
Topic Author
rjbraun
Posts: 2271
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:22 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by rjbraun »

Thanks to all for the really helpful feedback. I confirmed with the photographer from the start that the images would belong to us (this was tip I read when I was researching how to hire a photographer :happy ). He said that we are free to print as we like, so I think things should be fine.

That blurb.com site looks super user-friendly and fun! That site and some of the others all seem to have discount promos in place for "a limited time". I guess that will help me to get going. Otherwise, I could see inertia setting in as I play around with things and will be reluctant to pull the trigger on stuff, especially ordering a book. As others have noted, it would be a good idea to print some shots just to check out quality and whatnot. Also, there seem to be so many different types of paper and print styles (matte, gloss, etc.) it's probably good to do samples first.

At this point, I'm not sure the photographer would charge for adjustments. I think a certain amount of editing time is included in the fee, but I'd just as soon do what I can on my own and save the asks for when it might be harder to take care of myself.
mighty72
Posts: 1295
Joined: Fri May 04, 2018 11:22 pm
Location: Somewhere in the West

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by mighty72 »

rjbraun wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 3:33 pm Thanks to all for the really helpful feedback. I confirmed with the photographer from the start that the images would belong to us (this was tip I read when I was researching how to hire a photographer :happy ). He said that we are free to print as we like, so I think things should be fine.

That blurb.com site looks super user-friendly and fun! That site and some of the others all seem to have discount promos in place for "a limited time". I guess that will help me to get going. Otherwise, I could see inertia setting in as I play around with things and will be reluctant to pull the trigger on stuff, especially ordering a book. As others have noted, it would be a good idea to print some shots just to check out quality and whatnot. Also, there seem to be so many different types of paper and print styles (matte, gloss, etc.) it's probably good to do samples first.

At this point, I'm not sure the photographer would charge for adjustments. I think a certain amount of editing time is included in the fee, but I'd just as soon do what I can on my own and save the asks for when it might be harder to take care of myself.
for photobooks, we have been using printerpix and results are reasonable. I am not super particular about the details of the photos in photobooks. You can search groupon for good deals. for individual prints, I have used adoramapix for single prints. not the cheapest but really good quality
User avatar
22twain
Posts: 4032
Joined: Thu May 10, 2012 5:42 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by 22twain »

renue74 wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:57 pm Put the images on a thumb drive and you can take them to any Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and they will print them for you.
You don't even have to take them there. I've uploaded images to Walmart's web site for printing, and picked them up at their nearest store a few hours later. I'd be surprised if you couldn't do the same with Walgreens etc.

Just make sure you use all the pixels your photographer provides you. 8x10 inches at 300ppi resolution requires 2400x3000 pixels. But that's a pretty low target nowadays. Even my ancient iPhone 5S produces about 2400x3200. Just make sure you're not using a lower-resolution thumbnail or a version intended for on-screen or website display.
Meet my pet, Peeve, who loves to convert non-acronyms into acronyms: FED, ROTH, CASH, IVY, ...
VaR
Posts: 760
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2015 10:27 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by VaR »

A friend asked me this a few months ago and after extensive research we, of course, decided there was no one right answer. :)

Here are the ones that ended up on the short list:
1. mpix.com
2. AdoramaPix
3. Snapfish
4. Nations Photo Lab
5. Smugmug

I suspect that all of the above are competent choices. Some of the main use case differences seem to revolve around whether your focus is:
1. Tweak the pictures yourself offline, upload them, and get the best reproduction in the printed image.
2. Upload the pictures and use the editing system of the site to tweak the picture for printing.
3. Depend on the automatic adjustment system of the photo finisher to adjust the photo. Professionals obviously avoid this feature like the plague, but if you have terrible skills or no time, this can be the best option for you.

And there is an orthogonal aspect to this if you are simultaneously looking for a photo archiving and sharing site.
Gadget
Posts: 1026
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 1:38 pm

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by Gadget »

This article is now something like 5 years old. But it compares many of the online photo labs in depth.

https://improvephotography.com/7756/tes ... print-lab/

I've personally used Nations and have been very pleased. I found ProDPI too much of a hassle with their software. I have been less than pleased with Shutterfly print quality. I've also been happy with Miller's, but they are the most expensive. For the price, I think I like Nations the best out of the ones I've actually made prints with (Nations, Miller's, Shutterfly). I'm not sure I noticed much difference in quality between Nation's and Miller's, but there was a significant difference between those 2 and Shutterfly.
iamlucky13
Posts: 3528
Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2017 4:28 pm
Location: Western Washington

Re: Printing photos from JPG files

Post by iamlucky13 »

renue74 wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:57 pm Put the images on a thumb drive and you can take them to any Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and they will print them for you.

I think most of those places also give you the ability to manipulate the images a little....cropping, B/W, sepia, etc with on-screen adjustments before you print.
I do not advise this for anything other than snapshots.

The auto-adjustments Walgreens made, or perhaps down right incorrect color profiling of their printer, to some photos I had printed there when preparing a last minute gift made the recipient's skin look pale, her sweater look dingy, and her hair look unnatural. I ended up being embarrassed to give her the gift, although fortunately she's got pretty poor vision and just enjoyed the subject and setting of the photo.

I have not had this happen every time I've had prints made at Walgreens, but results have varied, this case was definitely the worst, and it definitely was not a problem with the source file. Next time I need 24 hour turnaround, I'll try Costco.

I generally use Adoramapix, and have been meaning to try Mpix based on their reputation. Neither do auto-adjustments unless you request it as far as I know, and both have good reputations for accurate results. Adoramapix is the photolab of a large, very well established camera store in NY, and MPix is the retail site for very well respected professional photo lab that has been around since before WWII.
Post Reply